The Present
by Jareth Dallis
Summary: Naruto tries to find the perfect gift for Karui. NaruKaru


The days counted down one after another. Naruto was at wits end. Christmas was drawing ever closer. And he had yet to gift for one particular kunoichi, Karui.

He had run into a share of troubles at other stores in the days prior. He had been knocked out, slammed into a wall, and been thrown through a window. Needless to say things weren't going well for him.

The problem was he needed it to be a special present. Because he realized in the years since the defeat of, Madara, that he held some affection for the girl who knocked the stupid out of him.

The perfect present for a girl like her was hard to do. How in the world do you shop for a girl who was very tomboyish, to the point she made Tenten look like Ino.

"ARRGH!!!!" he screamed as he held his head, trying to figure out the riddle that was Karui was driving him crazy. Something personal, something with meaning, but how could that be done?

He shifted his eyes from store to store. He didn't know what to get for her. She wasn't the kind of kunoichi who was overly feminine. Although she could sure make that skirt she wore work.

Jewelry? No.

Perfume? Maybe if she were a different Kunoichi.

Weapons? Yeah, if her name was Tenten.

Clothes? No!

He hung his head in desperation. What was he going to do? He had to live with this girl. He shared an apartment with her since she had trouble finding a place to live when she volunteered to live in Konoha as an emissary of the Raikage to foster good relations.

A bad present would result in Karui making his life a living hell. She was still a woman, and though he had Jiraiya's word to go on, he had his belief that if he did something wrong she wouldn't let him forget about it.

"What's wrong with you Naruto? You don't look so well." Kiba asked curiously as he stopped next to the blond looking at him questionably.

"…Ehhh…I don't know what to get Karui…" Naruto explained with an almost over exaggerated look exasperation.

Kiba grinned, as an idea came to mind, as he chimed "I know just the thing! Come on!"

Moments later at the Inuzuka compound, Kiba led Naruto to the kennels where they kept the pups and wolf cubs. "You could get her something commercial. But ya know…getting her a pup or a cub would mean a whole lot more. And my sister is looking for good homes for the cubs and puppies." Kiba explained, as he leaned against a wall.

"…You've met Karui right? Dark skinned girl, put Sakura into a rear naked choke, foul temper?" commented Naruto as he looked at his friend with some disbelief at the suggestion.

"Have I ever steered you wrong before?" responded the brown haired shinobi in response.

"Now that you mention it, there was that time when we went drinking and…" began Naruto as he responded without hesitation since it wasn't something he was proud of.

Kiba nervously grinned and held his hands up defensively as a bead of sweat rolled down the side of his head as he said, "…Okay…besides that time! Trust me! She's still a girl on the inside and girls like puppies!"

Naruto decided to see if he could find a puppy that would be a good match for Karui, as he walked down the kennel. He stopped near one and saw a golden furred wolf mix. For some reason it reminded him of well himself maybe it was the fact the cub was running all over the place full of energy. "They don't grow giant size like Akamaru right?" asked the blond as he shifted his gaze down to the entrance.

Kiba shook his head and said, "Nah. Akamaru is a different breed that those cubs there."

"Well…okay then!" Naruto chimed feeling relieved he had some hope that Karui would like the cub.

After filling out some paperwork, to adopt the cub he headed home. But once he got home he hid the cub in his coat, so Karui wouldn't see. Slowly he walked in with his coat pulled closed trying to get the puppy to his room.

"…What's in your coat Blondie?" inquired the dark skinned Kunoichi as she walked up behind him and grabbed him by the collar of his coat.

"Err…Nothing. GOTTAGOBYE!!" he shouted as she tried to run away but found his escape hindered all too easily. As he could get away he opened his coat and pulled out the gold furred wolf cub in defeat. "I was going to keep it a surprise Karu-chan…" he said in defeat, as turned and held the puppy in his hands.

"SO CUTE!!" she squealed as she saw the wolf cub, before suddenly regaining her composure and looking to the side, her cheeks tinged red as she attempted to put on her best strong face as she said, "…You didn't have to do that…"

Naruto's eye twitched as he set the cub to the floor, the mixed signals of the golden eyed kunoichi were going to give him an aneurysm. "I've been losing my mind on what to get you all week and you tell me I didn't have to!? I wanted to get you the perfect gift because I think I'm in love with you!! I got a concussion!!!"

She grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and kissed him fiercely, to do two things, shut him up for five minutes and to go get his presents from her room.

She walked out of her room with box and a fox cub in tow. "These are for you…Kiba told me I should get you a fox cub…but I wanted to get you something that would make you look like a grown man." she explained as she handed over the box, followed by a jab to the forehead to snap him out of his daze from the kiss she just gave him.

He snapped out of the daze and opened the box, inside there was an orange fur coat with black fur, with black flames rising from the bottom.

"…I…I love you Naruto…kun…" she said with a blush as she looked to the side, she had trouble showing her soft side. Even if it was with a guy she liked, it was just hard to break those habits for her.

He blinked and considered acting as if he didn't hear her. The thought of her performing a Raigaa Bomb on him filled his head, before he could speak she grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, dropping the box with the fur coat in it to the floor.

"Kiss me you idiot!" she said with some irritation to her voice as she gave him a somewhat threatening look.

"…You better not punch me…" he jokingly said as he caressed her cheek before kissing her tenderly. Sure she may have been short tempered, and hard to read but he loved her.


End file.
